HOUSTON (Rahnuma) Cooperation and competition are encouraged in energy development as well as environment protection, U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry said in Houston in the state of Texas on Wednesday.

“We need more open and candid discussions. We need a healthy competition of ideas on energy and the environment,” Perry said at the five-day CERAWeek meeting by IHS Markit that kicked off here on Monday.

“We need to support more innovation and need to apply that innovation to expand our energy usage and create real world progress,” he continued in his remarks.

According to Perry, energy security should be strengthened to achieve economic security and national security.

“We seek to build upon our European alliance to advance economic prosperity by strengthening energy security and promoting transparency,” he noted.

The 38th CERAWeek, which kicked off with the IEA press conference, is an annual energy meeting held by the London-based information company IHS Markit with the attendance of prominent speakers from energy, technology and financial sectors. This year’s meeting was attended by more than 4,500 guests from over 70 countries and regions.

There is a special dialogue on China as well as several discussions designed to focus on Asian and Chinese energy market since China has become one of the largest energy consumption economies in the world.